Paddle-ball systems as a type include usually a rubber ball tethered to a paddle by an elastic member such as a strip. The ball is batted away by the paddle, returned by the elastic strip and batted again, successively as many times as the skill and endurance of the user permit or until the user's interest flags.
In the known art are the following U.S. patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,622,880 granted to T. F. Walsh on 12-23-52 showed a means for winding the elastic for storage but did not suggest adjustably shortening the elastic length use;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,272,076 granted to J. M. Song and S. B. Ligon on 6-9-81, showed a ball tethered by a line to a small square base that could evidently be held in the hand as a paddle, if desired;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,382,609 granted to N. C. Neanhouse on 5-14-68, showed a ball tethered through a hole in a middle part of a face of a base to a member inside the base around which it is rolled by an electric motor. This evidently could be used as paddle ball apparatus with adjustable line-length, particularly if elastic were used in place of the cord;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,229,979 granted to S. E. Smoak, Jr. on 1-19-66, showed provision of a circular paddle instead of a paddle with handle; evidently the circular shape could be held directly by the user's hand;
U.S. Pat. No. 2,848,236 granted to J. E. Gibson, Jr. on 8-19-58, showed the provision of a handle equipped square paddle.
The ordinary type system described can give the user valuable hand-eye coordination training, exercise and amusement, at a very low cost. It would be logical to think that almost every child would have and frequently use one or more of the paddle-ball systems but such is not the case. In the ordinary case, a child will learn to bat the ball a few times without missing and will then put it aside for other, more stimulating diversions.
The problem may be that once learned, the operation of the ordinary system offers not enough further variety or challenge to the user to maintain interest. To some extent, also, there is for users indoors particularly, an element of danger from the swinging paddle, ordinarily hard and often splintery material such as wood, and also an element of noise. When the ball is hit hard it can make conversation difficult indoors.